Owen Foote, Super Spy

By Stephanie Greene and Martha Weston

Owen Foote has a new obsession: spying. He thinks that secretly watching people is the coolest thing in the world. But eavesdropping on his dad talking with a neighbor about lawn care is getting a little boring. Owen is ready for bigger challenges, and he has already selected his next target: Mr. Mahoney, his school principal. It’s going to be the ultimate spy test. Cloaked in camouflage and prepared to Duck or Die, Owen and his friends embark on their covert assignment. It will be Owen’s most daring adventure yet.

Fast-paced and funny, Owen’s latest enterprise has all the insightful humor and character appeal that make this series a sure bet for young readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jun 27, 2005
• ISBN: 9780547563091

Stephanie Greene

Stephanie Greene is the author of many books for young readers, including the popular Owen Foote books. Ms. Greene lives in Chapel Hill, N.C. Her website is www.stephaniegreenebooks.com.

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For Cooper and Alyssa,

who taught me a thing or two

—S. G.

For Peter

—M. W.

Clarion Books a Houghton Mifflin Company imprint 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003 Text copyright © 2001 by Stephanie Greene Illustrations copyright © 2001 by Martha Weston First Clarion paperback edition, 2005.

The text was set in 13.5-point Palatino. The illustrations were executed in pencil. All rights reserved.

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003.

www.houghtonmifflinbooks .com

Printed in the U.S.A.

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Greene, Stephanie.

Owen Foote, super spy / by Stephanie Greene; illustrated by Martha Weston.

p. cm.

Summary: Owen and his friends decide that spying on the school principal at his own house will be a fun challenge. ISBN 0-618-11752-0 [1. Spies—Fiction. 2. Honesty—Fiction. 3. School principals—Fiction. 4. Friendship—Fiction. 5. Humorous stories.] I. Weston, Martha, ill. II. Title.

PZ7.G8434 Oyf 2001

[Fic]—dc21 00060341

CIP AC

CL ISBN-13:978-0-618-11752-9 CL ISBN-10: 0-618-11752-0

PA ISBN-13:978-0-618-55159-0 PA ISBN-10: 0-618-55159-X

eISBN 978-0-547-56309-1

v1.1012

1. What Are You Doing?

Dad will never see me.

Owen? said Mrs. Foote. She sounded amazed. "What are you doing?"

Owen walked toward the kitchen table. He had on his too-big green fishing vest with a million pockets, a green T-shirt, and green pants. On his head, he was wearing his new camouflage headgear.

Are those Dad's boxer shorts? said his mom.

They had a hole in them, said Owen. He shifted the headgear up so that the eyeholes were over his eyes again and not his nose. He didn't want to trip and ruin how cool he looked. Dad won't care.

Mr. Foote's white boxer shorts were covered with dabs of dark green and light green paint. There were brown dabs, too, and a strip of bright red around the top.

Two empty leg holes flopped down over Owen's ears.

Isn't it great? he said. If we were outside right now, you could hardly see me.

Owen whipped the shorts off his head and put them on the table in front of his mother. Pretty realistic, huh?

His mom didn't say anything. But from the way her eyebrows were raised high above her eyes, Owen could tell she was impressed.

Is that the waistband? she said finally. She pointed to the strip of red elastic.

Owen nodded. I cut it off and sewed it on top to hold the thing on, but it keeps slipping down. I have to sew it tighter.

He slipped the shorts over his head again and stared out at her. I'm going to try it out on Dad.

Do I see what I think I see?

Lydia, Owen's sister, was standing in the kitchen door with a horrified expression on her face. Are those Dad's boxer shorts?

Lydia ... warned their mom.

I can't stand it. Lydia staggered into the kitchen and fell into a chair as if she had been mortally wounded. My brother's wearing underwear on his head.

She raised her hands to the ceiling. Why me? she cried. Why am I the only person in the world who has Owen for a brother? She put her head down on her arms and made loud sobbing noises.

Mrs. Foote started to laugh.

It's not funny, Mom, said Owen. The eyeholes slipped down over his cheeks and nose again. Darn! He whipped the camouflage off. I can't get this thing tight enough.

You know what the worst thing about this is, Owen? said Lydia. You think it's perfectly normal. You don't see anything wrong with wearing your father's underwear on your head. You think everyone does. And if they don't, you think they should.

Lydia, that's enough. Mrs. Foote put her hand on Owen's shoulder. I'm sorry I laughed, Owen. It's really very creative. But why did you paint the waistband red? Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of camouflage?

It's supposed to be like the property line.

His mom